Fitchburg State University Overview
Fitchburg State University is a public institution situated in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Fitchburg is a good match for students who enjoy the safety and convenience of the suburbs.
What Is Fitchburg State University Known For?
- The student loan default rate at Fitchburg State is 5%, which is significantly lower than the national rate of 10.1%. That's great news for students who are worrying about paying off their student loans.
- The highest award offered at Fitchburg State is the post-master's certificate.
- For the 2019-2020 academic year, 53% of the faculty were full-time.
- Students who graduate from Fitchburg State with a bachelor's degree make about $56,865 a year. That's 39% more than those who graduate from other schools.
Featured schools near , edit

Fitchburg State University Rankings
Our rankings are based on an outcomes-based approach rather than subjective ones used by other media outlets. As such, we utilize data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and the College Scorecard, among other sources. Visit our rankings and methodology section to learn more.
Program Level Awards
These are highlights of some of the most noteworthy awards granted to specific programs at Fitchburg State.
Awards From Around the Web
The following table lists some notable awards Fitchburg State has earned from around the web.
Rank | Ranking Name | Source |
---|---|---|
#1 | Best Value Graduate Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Police Science | College Factual |
#2 | Best Value Graduate Degree Colleges for Behavioral Science | College Factual |
#22 | Best Value Graduate Degree Colleges for Curriculum & Instruction | College Factual |
#35 | Best Value Graduate Degree Colleges for Teacher Education Subject Specific | College Factual |
#46 | Best Value Colleges for Educational Administration | College Factual |
#93 | Best Value Graduate Degree Colleges for Education | College Factual |
Where Is Fitchburg State University?

Contact details for Fitchburg State are given below.
Contact Details | |
---|---|
Address: | 160 Pearl St, Fitchburg, MA 01420-2697 |
Phone: | 978-345-2151 |
Website: | www.fitchburgstate.edu |
Facebook: | https://www.facebook.com/FitchburgStateUniversity |
Twitter: | https://twitter.com/Fitchburg_State |
How Do I Get Into Fitchburg State?
You can apply to Fitchburg State online at: www.fitchburgstate.edu/admissions/applying/
Admission Requirements for Fitchburg State
Submission | Required? |
---|---|
High School GPA | required |
High School Rank | neither required nor recommended |
High School Transcript | required |
College Prep Program | required |
Recommendations | recommended |
SAT or ACT Scores | considered but not required |
TOEFL | required |
How Hard Is It To Get Into Fitchburg State?
Approximately 41% of accepted students are men and 59% are women. The acceptance rate for men is 82%, and the acceptance rate for women is 93%.
Can I Afford Fitchburg State University?
The net price is calculated by adding tuition, room, board and other costs and subtracting financial aid.
Student Loan Debt
It's not uncommon for college students to take out loans to pay for school. In fact, almost 66% of students nationwide depend at least partially on loans. At Fitchburg State, approximately 73% of students took out student loans averaging $7,392 a year. That adds up to $29,568 over four years for those students.
The student loan default rate at Fitchburg State is 4.8%. This is significantly lower than the national default rate of 10.1%, which is a good sign that you'll be able to pay back your student loans.
Fitchburg State University Undergraduate Student Diversity

There are also 2,913 graduate students at the school.
Gender Diversity
Of the 2,831 full-time undergraduates at Fitchburg State, 47% are male and 53% are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity
The racial-ethnic breakdown of Fitchburg State University students is as follows.

Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 82 |
Black or African American | 322 |
Hispanic or Latino | 406 |
White | 1,879 |
International Students | 15 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 127 |
Geographic Diversity
Massachusetts students aren't the only ones who study at Fitchburg State University. At this time, 16 states are represented by the student population at the school.
Over 28 countries are represented at Fitchburg State. The most popular countries sending students to the school are India, China, and Germany.
Online Learning at Fitchburg State University
The following chart shows how the online learning population at Fitchburg State has changed over the last few years.

This school is the 4th most popular in Massachusetts for online learning according to the online graduations recorded by the Department of Education for the academic year 2019-2020.
Online Affordability Rankings of Fitchburg State
During the most recent year for which we have data, the full-time undergraduate tuition at Fitchburg State University was $10,830 for in-state students. Out-of-state students paid $16,910. The following table shows how Fitchburg State is ranked for affordability for both in-state and out-of-state students among colleges and universities that are not mostly online.
Major | Tuition for In-State Students | Tuition for Out-of-State Students |
---|---|---|
History | #40 | #16 |
History | #40 | #16 |
Accounting | #43 | #34 |
Interdisciplinary Studies | #51 | #27 |
Human Resource Management | #58 | #56 |
Online Growth Rankings of Fitchburg State
The average growth rate over the last four years of online students at Fitchburg State University was 83.9%. This is the #469 largest growth rate of all schools that are mostly online. This refers to all students at Fitchburg State regardless of major.
The following table shows the 1-year growth rate of Fitchburg State majors that offer at least one online course. This table only includes majors with positive growth.
Major | 1-Year Growth Rate |
---|---|
Behavioral Science | 17% |
Communication & Journalism | 22% |
Communication & Media Studies | 30% |
Computer & Information Sciences | 22% |
Computer Science | 38% |
Health Professions | 31% |
History | 17% |
History | 17% |
Nursing | 29% |
The table below shows how the average growth rate over 4 years at Fitchburg State ranks compared to all other mostly online schools that offer a specific major. Note that the majors may or may not be offered online at Fitchburg State.
Major | Growth Rate Rank | |
---|---|---|
Behavioral Science | #7 | |
Human Resource Management | #71 | |
Teacher Education Subject Specific | #75 | |
Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies | #109 | |
Nursing | #114 | |
Accounting | #130 | |
Education | #249 | |
Health Professions | #310 | |
Business Administration & Management | #322 | |
Business, Management & Marketing | #463 |
When we speak of partially online, we are referring to schools whose online population is less than 50% of its total student body. Mostly online refers to those with online populations greater than or equal to 50%.
Fitchburg State University Undergraduate Concentrations
The table below shows the number of awards for each concentration.
References
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
- College Factual
- National Center for Education Statistics
- Image Credit: By Found5dollar under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
![]() |
Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs. Learn More > |